Electrical connector



0 B. R. HOLLANDER 3,

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 23. 1967 3 Sheets -Sheet 1 '22 O 12 "if"EV May 26, 1970 B. R. HOLLANDER ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Aug.. 23.1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.8. Fig. 7.

May 26, 1970 B. R. HOLLANDER 3,514,744

ELECTRICAL CQNNECTOR Filed Aug. 23. 1967 3 Shee ts-Sheet :5

59.;4510 43 41 3 94 I .44 3! g I United States Patent O."

3,514,744 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Betty Ruth Hollander, Stamford, Conn.,assignor to Omega Engineering, Inc., a corporation of New Jersey FiledAug. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 662,625 Claims priority, application GreatBritain, Aug. 26, 1966, 38,315/ 66 Int. Cl. H01r 13/12 US. Cl. 339191 1Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed an electricalconnector having, in combination, a socket assembly including a bodyhousing, female socket elements and a plug assembly, includingrespective male pin elements for engagement in said socket elements,characterized in that said female socket elements comprise thecombination of a first contact, and an opposed second resilient contactwhich is separate from said first contact and wherein the secondresilient contact comprises an arm carried on a base and lying along thedirection of introduction and withdrawal of the male pin element, saidbase serving to align and to secure the first and second contacts withrespect to each other and to the body, said first and second contactsbeing supported by the body against movement away from each other,whereby a male pin element introduced between said first and secondcontacts is gripped as a result of resilient deformation of the secondcontact.

This invention relates to an electrical connector, of that generalnature having in combination a socket assembly including a body housingfemale socket element and a plug assembly including respective male pinelements for engagement in said socket elements.

The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in theconstruction of the female socket elements whereby the male pin elementsare firmly gripped between separate female contact elements which arelocated in the socket body.

According to the present invention an electrical connector having incombination a socket assembly including a body housing female socketelements and a plug assembly including respective male pin elements forengagement in said socket elements is characterized in that said femalesocket elements comprise a first contact and an opposed second resilientcontact which is separate from said first contact, said first and secondcontacts being supported by the body against movement away from eachother, whereby a male pin element introduced between said first andsecond contacts is gripped as a result of resilient deformation of thesecond contact.

In a preferred form, the second resilient contact comprises an armcarried on a base and lying axially along the direction of introductionand Withdrawal of the male pin element.

In a first embodiment of electrical connector in accordance with theinvention, the first contact is a socket having a' longitudinal channelthrough which the second contact protrudes into the path of entry of themale .pin element into the socket. In such a connector the socket bodymay include a recess to receive each base, and the base has lug means toabut against the body and retain the base in the recess. Such a socketmay conveniently comprise a body composed of two identical opposedhalves made of insulating material and housing two female socketelements. In another embodiment, one of those two opposed halves of thebody is made as two separable portions, whereby one or the other portionmay be re- 'ice moved without thereby dismantling the entire socketassembly.

In a further embodiment of electrical connector in accordance with theinvention, the first contact is a strip lying along the direction ofintroduction and withdrawal of the male pin element. The body thereformay conveniently be composed of two opposed halves made of insulatingmaterial and housing two female socket elements, one of said halves ofthe body having lugs to enter recesses in the other half of the body forthe purpose of locating said halves in position one with respect to theother.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained,three embodiments of connector in accordance therewith are hereinafterparticularly described with references to the figures of theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective elevation of a socket assembly of a firstembodiment of connector, the parts thereof being shown in separatedposition;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the socket assembly and a plug assembly of thefirst embodiment of connector, seen in engaged position and with thesocket assembly having an upper body portion removed to reveal internaldetails;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.;

FIG. 4 is a partial longitudinal section taken on the line IV-IV of FIG.2;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are, taken in that order, similar views to FIGS. 1,.2, 3 and 4, respectively, of a second embodiment of connector in whichsimilar socket and plug assemblies each have a two-part upper bodyportion;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a socket assembly of a third embodimentof connector, the parts thereof being shown in separated position;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the socket assembly and a plug assembly of thethird embodiment of connector, seen in engaged position and with thesocket assembly having an upper body portion shown partially broken awayto reveal internal details;

FIG. 11 is an edge elevation of the embodiment of connector of FIG. 10,the socket assembly being shown in longitudinal section taken on lineXI-XI of FIG. 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the socket assembly comprises a bodyconsisting of an upper half portion 1a and an identical half portion 1bmade of an electrically insulating material such as a synthetic resinousplastics material or ceramic. These portions have holes 2 for thepassage of fasteners such as metal screws 3 which receive nuts (notshown) and serve to retain the body portions in assembled condition.

Each body portion comprises a shoulder 4 having a semi-cylindricalrecess 5, and the two recesses 5 together constitute a bore for thepassage of a wire or cable lead to be secured in the socket assembly.Each body portion also comprises an intermediate shoulder 6 having twosemi-cylindrical recesses 7, and the opposed .pairs of recesses 7together constitute cylindrical seatings for each of a pair of femalesocket contacts 8. A still further shoulder 9 in each body portion has apair of semi-cylindrical apertures 10, and the respective opposed pairsof apertures 10 together constitute seatings for one end of therespective socket contacts 8 and openings for passage of male connectorpin elements into the socket contacts.

In each body portion there is provided, between the shoulders 4 and 6 atrough 11 for reception of individual wire leads. Between the shoulder 6and the shoulder 9 of each body portion there are defined respectiverecesses 12 separated by an intermediate wall 13.

Each female socket contact 8 consists of a generally cylindrical bodycut away axially and radially at one end to receive a wire clampingscrew 34 threaded into the socket contact. Along approximately half ofits length from the other end, the socket contact has a bore 14 adaptedto receive a pin of a male connector element described hereinbelow'. Thewall of the bored portion of the socket contact is also cut awaylongitudinally to provide a pair of opposed channels 15.

To provide a scraping or wiping contact and to urge the inserted maleconnector pin element firmly into electrical connection with the femalesocket contact, there is provided a second contact 16. This consists ofa piece of resilient metal including a base 17 and a curved upstandingcontact arm 19, thelatter being of suitable shape and size to passupwardly through the adjacent channel 15 and to project into the bore ofthe female socket contact so as to be in a position in which it will bein the part of entry and engaged and resiliently deformed by theinserted male pin element. The arm lies along the direction ofintroduction and withdrawal of the male pin element.

For retention of each contact 16 firmly in position in its recess 12,the base 17 is provided with two forwardly projecting upwardly inclinedlugs 19 which are adapted to abut against the front wall of the recess12 and to serve to retain the base 17 frictionally in position therein.

The particular connector illustrated is polarized and accordingly hasthe bore 14 of one female socket contact of a different diameter fromthat of the other female socket contact, whereby the socket and plugassemblies can be connected together in only one relative position.

The plug assembly (see FIG. 2) comprises a body 20 with two projectingmale pins 21 and 22 of respectively different diameters to permit themto enter the female socket contacts 8. A pin may be circumferentiallyrecessed, as at 22a, to provide identification and act as a catch actionwith the arm 18.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 to 8 inclusive, the entire construction of thesocket assembly is identical with that described in relation to FIGS. 1to 4 inclusive, with the exception that the upper body portion iscomposed of two separable half body portions 23a and 23b which togetherare of the same shape and size as the single piece upper body portion 1aof FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive. The portion 231: is adapted to be engaged andheld on the lower body portion 24 by the two screws 25, and the portion23b is adapted to be engaged and held on the lower body portion 24 bythe screw 26.

As in practice the male plug assembly 27 may also be constructedutilizing identical moulded body portions, the plug assembly is shown ashaving a corresponding line of division at 28 in the upper part of itsbody.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 to 11 inclusive, there is shown a thirdembodiment of connector in which the socket assembly ('FIG. 9) comprisesan upper half body portion 29 and a lower half body portion 30 made ofinsulating material. The lower body portion 30 has recesses 31, 32 and33 for accommodating wires to be connected by screws 34 to contactstrips 35 seated in channels 36 and lying along the direction of entryand Withdrawal of a male contact pin, the exposed upper surface of eachstrip 35 projecting slightly above the surface of a channel 37 formingpart of a recess for entry of the male pin. The strip 35 may bepolarized in size or position, e.g., in parallel or tandem or obliquely.

The upper body portion has recesses 38, 39 and 40 which arecomplementary respectively to the recesses 31, 32 and 33 of the lowerbody portion. In the upper body portion 29 thereare also providedrecesses 41 in which are seated respective resilient second contacts 42each comprising a base 43 and an upstanding resilient arm 44. Each arm44 is situated opposite a respective strip 35 and when a male plug pinelement 45 is inserted it is wipingly engaged between the pin 35 and thearm 44, which together constitute a female socket element, by resilientdeformation of the arm 44 (see FIG. 11), thereby forcingthe plug pinagainst the strip 35 for good electrical connection thereto. One half ofthe body has lugs 29a to enter recesses 30a in the other half for thepurpose of locating said halves in register position one with respect tothe other.

The within described connectors are particularly useful for thermocoupleand other instrument wiring requiring very good repeatable electricalconnections.

What we claim is:

1. An electrical connector having, in combination, a socket assemblyincluding a body housing, female socket elements and a plug assembly,including respective male pin elements for engagement in said socketelements, characterized in that said female socket elements comprise thecombination of a first contact which is a socket having a longitudinalchannel, and an opposed second resilient contact which is separate fromsaid first contact and protrudes through said channel and into the entrypath of a male pin element and wherein the second resilient contactReferences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,518,639 12/1924 Reamer 3391912,997,687 8/1961 Malter 339191 3,273,105 9/1966 Klassen 339-176 FOREIGNPATENTS 4/ 1924 Switzerland.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner J. H. MCGLY-NN, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X. R.

